Clock train periodic switch



Oct. 14, 1952 A. MOUIINHO CLOCK TRAIN PERIODIC SWITCH Filed June 28, 1950 INVEN TOR.

ANTON/O MOUT/Nf/O ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 14, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,614,183 CLOCK TRAIN PERIODIC SWITCH Antonio Moutinho, Oakville, Conn.

Application June 28, 1950, Serial No. 170,845

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to brooders for young chickens and more particularly to a brooder having means which will counteract the natural tendency of the chickens to crowd together at one locationunder the canopy of the brooder, thus reducing the injury to and mortality of said chickens that would otherwise occur due to such crowding.

One object of this invention is to provide a brooder of the above nature which comprises means for audibly' frightening the chickens at suitable intervals so that they will disperse before sufllcient time has elapsed to permit excessive crowding to occur.

Another object of this invention is to provide a brooder of the above nature wherein the chicks will be periodically frightened and dispersed by an alarm bell mounted in a central position under the canopy of the brooder, said bell being actuated by the operation of an improved electric s time switch.

Another object is to provide a brooder of the above nature having means for actuating a second alarm which may be located at a point outside the brooder canopy and any tendency for the chicks to become injured by crowding will be further reduced.

A further object is to provide a device. of the above nature which will be simple in construction,

inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, and very efilcient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, there have been illustrated on the accompanying drawing two forms in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of th improved brooder canopy showing the alarm bell, the time switch, and also a remote alarm bell located outside of said canopy.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the time switch showing diagrammatically the electrical connections of said switch to the alarms and to the source of current.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the time swtich, shown partly in section as seen from the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing a modified form of the time switch.

Referring now to the drawing, in which like references numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral ill indicates a circular brooder canopy which is concave in a downward direction and which is pro- 2 vided upon its upper surface with a central upstanding stem H. The stem H is adapted to be connected to suitable means, such as a rope l2, for suspending the canopy 10 above a floor F at such a height that the chickens may pass inwardly beneath the lower edge of said canopy;

The necessary warmth for the chickens beneath the canopy I0 is provided by suitable heating means which may, for example, compris a plurality of electric lamps I3 mounted within said canopy and connected to a suitable source of current.

It is well known in the poultry industry that young chickens will, if unrestrained, congregate in crowds at one point beneath the brooder canopy in order to achieve a greater degree of warmth. This action of the chickens is undesirable, since it has been found that a considerable number of the chicks are injured or killed over a period of time because of the tendency of the chickens around the fringes of the group to push inwardly toward the center,. thus exerting an excessive pressure upon the chickens at the center of the group which causes them to be squeezed or trampled. The chickens at the center of the group are thus frequently injured or killed, particularly those which are ailing, undersized'or less vigorous than the others.

In order to frighten the chickens and thus cause them to disperse at frequent regular intervals of time, the present invention contemplates the provision of an electrically operated alarm bell I4 mounted upon a bracket [5 depending from the inner central portion of the canopy l0.

Inasmuch as the chickens, when frightened by the bell [4, may tend to crowd together outside the canopy i0, provision is also made of a second auxiliary electrically operated alarm bell l6 which may be placed at a remote point.

The alarm bells l4 and 16 are adapted to be operated at alternate intervals by a time switch I! mounted upon the central stem 4 I of the canopy Ill. The time switch I1 comprises a substantially fiat-faced casing [9 having a rotating arm 18 mounted on a forwardly projecting central driving shaft 20 which is operated by suitable clockwork so as to rotate said arm across the face of the casing I9 once each hour.

Behind the arm IS, the face of the casing 19 is overlaid by a disk of insulating material 2|, which in turn is overlaid by a metal disk 22 carrying a series of outwardly-pointed raised resilient contact lugs 23 adapted to be successively engaged by the arm 18. The lugs 23 are equidistantly spaced and located adjacent the pehaving a raised resilient pointed inner end which is adapted to be engaged by the arm l8 as the latter rotates.

contact lugs 23, thus completing a circuit through the bell l4 and ringing said bell for a short time until the arm l8 has passed the contact 23. The sound of the bell M will frighten the chickens and thus cause them to scatter.

The auxiliary bell [6 which is located outside the canopy will, after a suitable interval, be sounded by the engagement of the contact arm I8 with one of the contact arms 26.

Itfhas' been found in practice that. the most eificient operation of the apparatusw'ill be obtained if the bells l4 and [6 are llll'lg alternately at minute intervals, although it will be understood. thatthetimeswitch I! may be so con- The disks 2|, 22, and 24 are centrallyapertured so as to permit free operation ofthe shaft 20, and.

also to avoid any electrical contact'between the metal disk 22 and said shaft. The rotating arm. [8 is electrically connected to the casing 19 former 2-1 is connected to the switch casing 19 by aconductor-ZS, while thesother terminal of said secondary is connected to one terminal of each ofthe alarm'bellsl4 and 16 by a branched wire The other terminal of the bell I4 is connected by a wire 3| to awire 32 having a plurality of branches-33 individually connected to theshort contact lugs 23.

Similarly, the alarm bell [.6 is connected to each of the series. of long contact lugs 26 by wires 34, 35 and a plurality of branches 36. Thus, it will be seen that the bells l4 and [Swill be operated alternately at equal intervals of time as the switch arm l8- sweepsacross the contact lugs 23 and 2.8 in turn.

. Second form In the'second form of the invention, the switch means-for operating the alarmbells I4 and lG-is embodied in a clock'3l having aminute hand 38 which is protected by a concave crystal 39 of glass or other insulating material. A switch contact located in the path of the hand 38 is provided by a resilient wireelement 40 inserted through an aperture in the crystal33 and-retained by cement 4|, it bein understood that this construction will be'duplicated at all pointsin the crystal 39 where it 'is' desired to have the hand 38 establish electrical contact, as said hand rotates across said crystal.

I Operation When the brooder is in use, the time switch I] will swing the arm I8 across the contact lugs 23, 26, and causethealarm .bells to be sounded-at the regular intervals.

.During .a greaterpart of the time, however, the bell M will be silent, .and thechickens will gather beneath thecanopy loiwhere they will .be warmed by the lamps. Beforesufficient time has. elapsed to permit excessive crowding of. chickens in group s,'..the.switch.arm I8 willenga-ge one ofthe structed as to ring said bells at any other desired interval;

The modified switch contact construction shown in' Fig. 4'wil1 preferably be so arranged as .to operate in the same manner as described above, and has the additional advantage that the switch contacts are protected by, theclock crystal 33from dirt and moisture. which might other.- wise have an adverse effect upon their operation.

While there havebeen disclosed in this specification two forms in which the invention may be embodied, it is-to be understood that these forms are shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limitedto the specific disclosure, butmay bemodified and-embodied in. various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all themodificatibns and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claim; Having thus fully described the. invention, what is claimed as new and .for which .it is desired to secureLetters Patent, is: I In a time switch for actuating an audible alarm bell associated with a chicken brooder for periodically scattering chickens which may have gathered together in'crowds, a circular, casing, ,a motor-driven time-controlled metallic switch arm mounted for rotationin front of said-casing, a convex circular glass crystal .locatedin, front of said casingand connected therewithfonembrac: ing said: switch. arm, ,saidcrystal having; a resilient. inwardly extending. wire contact: passe ing therethrough and cementedsinanzaperture therein: adjacent the; periphery.'thereofil the. rear terminal 50f said contact :being :locatedtinp-the: path of the outer: portion. of; said:.-switch .arrnzfor.'suc:+ cessivei engagement. thereby :at regularirepeated intervals. .0:

ANTQNIQMOUTINHO.

REFERENCES-CITED;

The following references are file ofthis patent: 1

UNITED STATES PATENTS.

of; record in the Sweden July; 6,1943 

